Leaning kousa tree - help!

[Smousie]

I recently purchased a cornus kousa tree by mail order. The tree they sent leans significantly to one side. The nursery has refused to exchange or refund so I will have to make the best of it.

 

It's a multi stem tree. The short trunk leans to one side. If planted upright the whole tree will lean strongly. Can anyone please suggest how to prune and stake this tree to form a vase shape with the branches on the correct side! Thanks.

[Stubby]

Just make the hole wide enough to accommodate you planting the root ball at an angle to bring the stem upright .

[Smousie]

Thanks. How can I fix the issue with the tree branches leaning to one side?

[Stubby]

It will go after the light when it is established . I would not worry about it .

[agg221]

The branches should be fairly flexible so you can tie them in to canes or sticks. Twine works OK but if you might need to leave them on for a while, strips cut from an old pair of tights are very effective! Check the ties around June/July and loosen them if they are starting to constrict the stem, take them off completely when the stems have grown to where you want them.

 

Alec

[fagus]

Stake and plant as advised; plant with the lean towards the most sun to attract the best light to that side- to correct the lean

[daltontrees]

It should self-correct. BUt I don't believe that light has much to do with it. Most trees are geotropic, meaning they sense which way is up and which is down. Light will reward buds developing on the sunniest side, but that's not the same as the tendency of trees too extend upwards. The sun and stored reserves of energy power this each spring but the direction is regulated by gravity.

 

If anything, I'd plant it with the lean away from the sun to strengthen the weaker side. Probably best not to fight the existing vertical elements. Planting it as vertical as possible will cause least hormonal confusion and in time the stem will thicken to carry an ever-increasing crown, overwriting the original lean on the basal stem.

 

When replanting, tease out all the roots as much as possible. Lean often develops due to young roots circling the inside of an inadequately sized pot, and the strangling effects of this can continue even after repotting and/or planting out. It might take years, but with some species it is a time-bomb.

 

Stake as low as possible, and lower or remove stake ties as young as the tree wil stand. Don't let the tree roots become addicted to artificial support. Good root development is stimulated partly by wind forces.

[daltontrees]

And do it very soon.

[Stubby]

So a parkland tree , say a holm oak , spreads in all directions but a plantation tree goes strait up because its competing for the light is...... not the case ?

[Goaty]

Not being a delibrate irritation. But that is not a tree. A tree is usually a single woody stem(trunk)

Im from the nursery trade. As suggested plant it so the stem you want is upright and finish the nurseries job off by giving it a good stout cane. Ive not grown kousa. However you might be better of doing it end of the month, with sap flowing it may flex better. You get a feel of breaking point how far to go. Maybe keep coming back and tying it at intervals.

Only when you have successfully tied it up, id prune out the other stems. Unless you want it to have a magnolia shape and form.

 

Id keep the far right strong stem and in 5-10 years as it thickens the kink will dissapper

 

Sent from my LG-K100 using Arbtalk mobile app

Edited March 4, 2017 by Goaty

[daltontrees]

So a parkland tree , say a holm oak , spreads in all directions but a plantation tree goes strait up because its competing for the light is...... not the case ?

 

I don't understand this question. Maybe suffice to say that this is a miniscule shrub-like individual of a species which the OP wants to develop into an open-grown form.